Chewbacca: A Wookie Legend
by rhonardo
Summary: Exiled to a remote planet in the outer rim, Chewbacca is the last of his kind to escape enslavement by the Empire. Now he must do whatever it takes to survive while waiting for his chance at revenge. (A dramatic Star Wars Legends story set between Episodes III and IV)
1. Chapter 1

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

The Emperor rules over all. Planets once protected by the Galactic Republic are now under the thumb of the Empire.

After the Empire reinstituted slavery throughout the galaxy, the Wookiee planet of Kashyyk is under constant attack by slavers. Chewbacca had led the fight against them but was forced to abandon the planet after being critically wounded in battle. The ferocious Wookiee was brought aboard a medical frigate and taken far away from his home. But the starship was shot down over the forested outer rim planet of Shar'Ack, leaving Chewbacca as the sole survivor.

Now the lonely Wookiee hides among the alcohol-addicted artisans on the planet while his people are enslaved by the Empire. Working for the crime boss Tyric, he oversees the smuggling operations of prohibited alcohol to off-world planets. Waiting for his chance to exact his revenge against the Emperor…

* * *

The smuggling vessel Roma was a cramped and musty starship. The old junker was a salvage piece, intentionally kept dirty and rusted to discourage looters and pirates. The small crew on board were mostly humanoids who's true appearance were hidden beneath layers of worn fabrics not unlike the ship they were contained in. They were comfortable with their filth. Or at least conditioned to ignore it.

What was unusual to them was the sight of a hulking Wookiee waiting for them on the landing pad as they touched down on the planet Shar'Ack. Even if he couldn't see their eyes, Chewbacca could feel their stares as he attempted to squeeze his way through the hatch entrance. It was clear that this galaxy was not built for Chewbacca's kind, and he'd grown accustomed to making do with such uncomfortable accommodations. Chewbacca watched as the crew began the process of lowering the crates into the ship's smuggling quarters, concealed beneath a dusty computer terminal. This was their first transport of the planet's specialty: Idilwil, an alcoholic spirit renowned for its potency but not it's taste. As a part of the transaction, Chewbacca would inspect the handoff to ensure proper containment procedures were followed, and payment rendered in full.

There was a time when picking up a shipment from Shar'Ack was an easy score. The people here were mostly addicted to their own supply, and the smugglers knew how to play them against each other for the lowest price. It was predatory behavior that smugglers, and their wealthy backers, were happy to indulge. That is, until the stories spread of the horrifying Wookiee: Anyone who thought they could renegotiate the terms of their trade were lucky if they remained in possession of all their limbs, so long as the Wookiee was there to oversee the deal.

With the scammers dealt with, alcohol-production on the planet thrived. Idilwil could fetch a high price on any planet under Imperial control. With such heavy inspections and tariffs leveled on Imperial alcohol, Idilwil's heavy intoxicating effects meant that patrons would only need to purchase a handful of product to satisfy their clients.

Where there were once a variety of local producers competing against each other, the industry was soon consolidated under one man: Tyric, an old native of Shar'Ack, a Shaliz to be specific. A race of winged humanoids, they were ironically incapable of leaving the secluded forests of their home planet. Or perhaps they simply had no interest in it.

Chewbacca didn't much trust Tyric. He was a fat old man who was far too comfortable with his newfound success. But no one on the planet speaks Shyriiwook, the Wookiee's native tongue, and Tyric was the only one who even bothered to attempt a conversation with the hairy beast. Their one-sided communications were for the best, or else Tyric might ask why the lone Wookiee was aboard an old Republic medical frigate in the first place. Let alone the Wookiee's true name.

Writ, the ship's captain and lone human, knocked Chewbacca out of his hazy memories. "That's a mighty fine looking cargo if you ask me," he chimed in as he inspected the bottle of Idilwil. He was seemingly speaking to himself, as Chewbacca had learned most humans are fond of. He knew not to encourage this kind of idle chit-chat or else it might never end. As long as the product was secure and the price paid in full, that was the extent of his interactions with the crew.

"Might we toast to a job well done," Writ asked, seemingly genuine. He must have picked up on Chewbacca's sour mood as he cracked open the bottle. For as long as he's been trapped on this planet, Chewbacca's mind has been overrun by his hatred of the Empire and sorrow for the fate of his people. They were once free and proud, fighting alongside the Galactic Republic against the Separatist's droid army. But when the Emperor took control of the galaxy, he used his immeasurable power to enslave the "inferior" species.

The wookiees of Kashyyk were a quick target for slavers. Backed by Imperial headhunters, a clan of wookiees represented a substantial payday. The constant barrages on their home planet were impossible to prevent, despite their best efforts. Chewbacca had made it his mission to unite the various clans against their common foe, but it was too little too late. With the Republic gone and the Jedi destroyed, there was no one left to turn to when the planet fell.

It was in these desperate times that Chewbacca was injured and forced onto the medical frigate that would doom him to this isolated existence on Shar'Ack. And now the only way he could find to escape these dark thoughts was with a drink. Tyric learned this early on, and even though Chewbacca knew he was being manipulated, he indulged the behavior because it did lessen the burden from his mind. At least temporarily.

Writ offered him a glass but Chewbacca swiped the bottle instead. Each drop was valuable to a smuggler like Writ, but not so important that he'd risk offending a Wookiee of Chewbacca's size. And he needed it.

But what the alcohol could never do was dilute his hatred for the Empire, and the Emperor who had taken everything from him. For now, he'd have to bide his time and wait. Content with the knowledge that as long as he was still alive with a bowcaster in his hands, the Empire had no control over him.

* * *

The Shar'Ack trees whipped into a frenzy as the Roma flew off into the sky with a belly full of product. The branches fell to Chewbacca's feet but he paid them no mind. He had a satchel full of credits slung over his shoulder and a short hike back to Tyric's base.

It was once primarily a distillery, converting a variety of chemicals found only in the Artivis system into a potent alcoholic spirit. Now known as Idilwil, it was originally discovered in the sap of the planet's thick forest trees. Their roots soaked up the chemicals naturally from the soil and synthesized them together within their bodies. It was sometime later that the natives discovered the chemical process which produced this hallucinatory cocktail and recreated it in the lab, producing a more portable and profitable alternative in liquid form. Now the distillery functioned as Tyric's base of operations, bustling with activity as his droids tended to the distilling and packaging of the product.

The planet already had a small window to the outside world through the smugglers and capitalists looking to take advantage of the people here, but it wasn't until Tyric took charge, with Chewbacca's brute force at his side, that these off-world opportunists realized the situation would no longer be rigged in their favor. Tyric now operated a quasi-legal alcohol production business: the production of the alcohol itself was legal so long as Shar'Ack was an independent outer rim planet. But it's distribution was almost exclusive to Imperial controlled worlds because it was most valuable to those looking to avoid heavy tariffs and unwanted attention. This task was the exclusive purview of the smugglers Chewbacca was tasked with overseeing, and despite his best efforts, still represented the biggest risk to Tyric's operation.

"Welcome back, old friend," Tyric offered warmly as he opened the door to his office for Chewbacca.

This office was Tyric's primary resting place. He had no need to ever leave the factory, thanks to the Wookiee. So now his office had grown into a comfortable den, complete with luxury recliners and all the other material comforts a thriving business provides. "I take it there were no problems," he asked, already knowing the answer as he flipped through the stacks of credits in Chewbacca's satchel. It was filled to the brim with Writ's payment. He moved the credits into the nearby safe and punctuated the heavy thud of the door closing with a smile. "Of course not," he added cheerfully, "you truly are the best of the best."

Chewbacca knew he didn't have to respond to Tyric's flattery for him to continue with his spiel. He was leading to something, and Chewbacca could sense the hesitation in his voice as he neared the true subject of their conversation from his reclining chair.

"What would you say if I had an opportunity to be done with smugglers once and for all? What if we could cut out the middlemen and get into distribution for ourselves?"

Chewbacca let out a short growl of contempt for any discussion of trade deals.

"I know you're good at the work, but what if you didn't have to risk your life facing off with every two-bit smuggler who thinks they'll be the first to get one over on you? Wouldn't that be preferable, setting the terms of distribution with a respectable party? One we know we can trust?"

Chewbacca was still hazy from his drink on the Roma, which must be why he didn't notice when Tyric produced a bottle from his personal collection and poured him a glass. Perhaps it was the numbing effect of the alcohol that made Tyric's offer of peaceful operation sound more appealing.

By Wookiee standards, Chewbacca was still a young cub. But after his failures on Kashyyk, perhaps it was time for Chewbacca to lay and rest. The Galaxy continued to operate without him, and with every day it felt less likely that he'd ever find redemption, or that he even deserved it.

"What I've got lined up for us is our best chance at long-term stability. It's going to be risky, but if we can successfully negotiate this deal, we might just be set for life," offered Tyric appealingly.

Chewbacca didn't want to be persuaded by Tyric's speech. He wanted to stand tall for his clan. To one day return to Kashyyk and rescue his fellow wookiee's from enslavement. But every day that possibility felt further removed. The business on Shar'Ack grew, but it would never absolve Chewbacca of his guilt and shame.

Nor did it seem like it would provide an opportunity to exact revenge against the Empire. The smugglers and entrepreneurs they worked with were too skittish of the Empire. And even Tyric, for all his ambitions, had no intention of ever leaving his home planet.

For better or worse, Chewbacca was slowly beginning to realize that he might never escape Shar'Ack. And maybe that's what he deserved. A failure. An exile. Cursed to die in obscurity.

Their silence was broken by the sudden booming whoosh of a starship exiting hyperspace rumbling past the miles of trees on either side of the factory.

"I can't do this without you," pleaded Tyric at his most vulnerable. Whatever he was planning, it was clear that even he was not certain it would succeed. "Because it appears our guests have arrived."

Tyric brought Chewbacca to the window, through which he could clearly see the dreadful sight of an Imperial Star Destroyer overhead.


	2. Chapter 2

A Wookiee's temper is impossible to contain. Especially in such tight spaces.

Everything in Tyric's office that wasn't bolted down had been upended. Chewbacca's right arm swung across the desk and the left took out Tyric's favorite chair. The cushion rolled across the floor to Tyric's feet. He could only take cover and wait for the high tide of aggression to pass.

It was a potent mixture of alcohol and rage which left Chewbacca dizzy. Tyric's voice sounded like it was a thousand parsecs away. "Listen! I know you can still understand me. And you've sure as hell made yourself understood. But this deal is our only chance of making it off this planet."

Chewbacca roared. He didn't want to hear any excuses. The Empire is here. Now. Because of Tyric. This is the closest he's ever been to the Empire since he last saw another Wookiee. In that moment, it was as if he had been transported back to that time. When rebellion against the Empire was still possible.

The familiar weight of his bowcaster brought him back into the moment. Chewbacca didn't remember picking it up. He blamed it on the rage turning him blind. Tyric stood between him and the door through which Chewbacca would find the Imperial officers he was destined to kill.

"I know what you're thinking. You want to go out there and kill every last one of them. I understand. I hate them too, and I know what they did to your planet… But there's another way." It was obvious that even Tyric did not believe his own words, but he continued on as best he could. "The Empire, they were going to come here sooner or later. Might as well make it sooner so long as it can be on our terms, you see?"

Our terms. Chewbacca played the word over in his head again and again. Mankind's humility making a characteristic appearance. The idiocy of this man, who believed the Empire would stoop to his level.

"The Commander of that ship wants to cut a deal. Exclusive rights to any Imperial planet we want. We can stay in business, the people still get our product, and according to the Empire, we're no longer criminals. It's a win-win all around. Take the money and use it to get out of here."

Chewbacca never knew how long his arrangement with Tyric was meant to last. Neither, apparently, did Tyric. Because of their lopsided understanding of Basic language, and the lack of paper trails in Tyric's criminal operation, there was little official documentation for their partnership. He still didn't even know Chewbacca's name.

"If you want to fight the Empire, as I can tell you do, you can take all the money they give us and turn it around on them. That would be some real poetic justice if you ask me."

Tyric was slowly gaining his confidence, and it was working. Chewbacca didn't want to be persuaded by the concept of comfort. He had been running away from the Empire looking for his chance at revenge for so long, perhaps this moment with the Empire at their door was not the best time to mount his last stand. He was strong with a bowcaster, but even from the optimal position on the roof of the factory he stood no chance against an entire squadron of stormtroopers.

Soon the rage was replaced with grief and regret. It always was. Tyric could sense the sadness in his companion and poured him a glass of Idilwil. Any memories that were left rattling in his brain were washed away by the tonic.

"There's no deal without you," Tyric offered in his most sincere voice.

* * *

Tyric massaged his shoulder as he closed the door behind Chewbacca. "Thanks for letting me hold onto this, you won't regret it." Chewbacca snorted in derision. He already regretted the decision to leave his bowcaster behind as the Imperial Commander marched towards them. He was clearly a pompous man who took each step as if he already possessed the planet he was walking on.

The Commander had a half dozen Stormtroopers and a couple of Lieutenants to his rear. They moved in formation past the front gates of Tyric's base. The tall trees provided an excellent cover from starships above, although they could not obscure the sight of a Star Destroyer up beyond their atmosphere, and the Imperial shuttle craft parked just beyond the range of their guard towers.

"Welcome," announced Tyric with the appropriate pomp and circumstance befitting an Imperial Commander who's ass he needed to kiss. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance in person. We've been expecting you."

The Commander clearly wasn't one for pleasantries. Imperial types never were. "We were delayed by some… internal matters," he said with disdain as a nearby Lieutenant awkwardly shifted his feet, the obvious target of his criticism. "Nonetheless, I am looking forward to what should be a lucrative arrangement. Now might we make our negotiations in your office, in private."

"Unfortunately, my office is out of commission at the moment," Tyric blurted out. "Pest problem. Needlebugs."

"Those are quite dangerous creatures. I'd hope they don't spoil your supply. You wouldn't be offering tainted goods to the Empire, would you?"

"Of course not, sir."

The Commander gave Chewbacca a dirty look up and down. "Perhaps your Wookiee… companion is to blame." Every word dripped with contempt. "I've spent a great deal of time taming these foul creatures. You would not believe how many pests could be concealed beneath their fur."

"He has been here for quite some time now. But the Needlebugs have been here much longer, I'm afraid."

"Does it have a name?"

"I'm sure he'd love to tell you, but we haven't yet been able to ascertain what that name might be. Perhaps you, with your extensive experience with the wookiees, would be able to suss it out?"

"I'm afraid I never could pick up the finer points of their language. If you can even call it that."

Chewbacca locked eyes with the Commander. He clearly wanted the Wookiee to feel intimidated by his armed entourage. Chewbacca wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Anyways," Tyric awkwardly offered, "Perhaps we can give you a tour of the distillery on our way to a more secure location. I'm sure you'd like to see our operation first-hand before signing off on any -"

"I do not care for the production of your illicit goods," the Commander interrupted. "Only the means with which you expect me to distribute it to our territories. And the fee to keep my participation a secret from the Emperor."

The Emperor's name made Chewbacca's hair bristle as he let out an involuntary growl. The Stormtroopers raised their blasters at the Wookiee, but he didn't take the bait. He stood still with his arms firmly placed at his side.

"Don't mind him," Tyric quickly interjected. "He hasn't had his meal yet. Now please, follow me."

* * *

Tyric and the Commander were quick to arrange a deal which satisfied both parties. Although it was clear that it was the Commander was setting the agenda. Tyric could only accept what was put in front of him, and Chewbacca had to turn away as they sealed the deal with a handshake. He was sickened by his inability to stand up for himself, and the ease with which Tyric sent him off to the Imperial shuttle craft to transport their first delivery.

To accompany the Wookiee, the Commander sent the same nervous Lieutenant he had previously scolded. This was obviously meant to be a punishment, babysitting a foul-odored beast while the rest of the Lieutenants celebrated the deal with a drink.

For his part, the Lieutenant didn't seem to mind the demotion. The Commander looked like a textbook example of a good Imperial officer, which must be why he was able to go about his illicit dealings without detection. In this respect, the Lieutenant was his opposite: a scruffy looking man who would be the most obvious candidate for deception and criminality. He appeared to value no one's time or money more than his own. Which is perhaps why he refused to stop talking for the entirety of their walk to the Imperial shuttle.

He seemed to be perpetually impressed by his own wit and ego and had no problem sharing his dissatisfaction with the Commander. Knowing that Chewbacca wouldn't be able to report what he heard, even if he wanted to, freed him up to let loose everything he hated about his commanding officer.

"And another thing! He does this whistle every time he issues a command like we're his Bantha or something."

Chewbacca was glad the Lieutenant was too busy talking to inspect the cargo Chewbacca had retrieved. While unattended, he had removed the Idilwil's container ID and replaced it with a shipment of mining explosives. They were designed to extract sediment deep within Shar'Ack's mountain region and would be more than enough to destroy the shuttle craft. And even better, if it remained undetected when docking into the Star Destroyer, it might take out all of the ship's senior leadership as well.

This destructive plan would obviously have severe consequences. Tyric would certainly feel the sting of betrayal. His work was his life. And Chewbacca was about to blow it all up for a chance at revenge. And as for the Empire, if they didn't return with an entire Armada to forcibly enslave the planet, they'd simply bomb them from space to wash their hands of the situation entirely. But it would be worth it if this was the only shot he was going to get.

And it all hinged on the sarcastic Lieutenant's attention as they waited for the cargo doors to the Imperial Shuttle to open.

"Here we are. Home sweet home. You know, I joined the Empire to fly ships. Fast ones, like Tie Fighters. You know Tie Fighters? They don't have anything like them where I grew up, so I figured this was my only shot. Except now they got me flying this hunk of junk. Can you believe that?"

It appeared he still had some more to say. Chewbacca only pretended to listen so long as it kept the man from inspecting his clandestine cargo. They were mere steps away from being aboard the shuttle, at which point Chewbacca would begin his greatest, and final, attack on the Empire.

As the cargo doors closed behind them, Chewbacca felt stifled by the sterility of the Imperial shuttle. It was a far cry from the dirty smuggling ships he was accustomed to. Then the Lieutenant pivoted towards Chewbacca with a sudden shift.

"They told me to move your product into the lower cargo hold. That means we're going to have to go through the scanners."

Scanners? Imperial scanners would immediately detect the true contents of his cargo, foiling Chewbacca's plan before it even had a chance.

Just like that, his revenge would be exposed. Cut short and unfulfilled. But it was too late to turn back now.

That's when the Lieutenant interrupted Chewbacca's train of thought. "But lucky for you, the scanners are broken. Or at least, that's what we're going to tell them if they ask why we took the shortcut. Deal?"


	3. Chapter 3

The Imperial Shuttle sucked away Shar'Ack's musty odor the instant the cargo doors closed. Inside the craft was washed with filtered oxygen. This fine-tuned machine was perfectly calibrated to remove every bit of organic matter from within its hull, rendering the entire ship an empty void. This wasn't Chewbacca's first time aboard an Imperial vessel but it might just be his last.

"I know what you're thinking," the Lieutenant offered, letting his words settle in the air with a pregnant pause. "What a dump, right?"

This human had made himself incredibly comfortable with Chewbacca. They had only spent a short while traversing the forest back to the shuttle carrying his Commander's first shipment of Tyric's Idilwil. And now here he was, prying apart the shuttle's scanner, removing the plating from its metal chassis. He plucked a single cable out from the mess of wires and the entire box shut down.

The Lieutenant looked at Chewbacca with a smirk. "Damn needlebugs, am I right? Your boss gave me that idea. Those scanners are a pain anyways." He wiped his hands clean on his uniform and made eye contact with the Wookiee. Most humanoids were intimidated by Chewbacca's massive frame, and yet here was an Imperial officer who was unlike anyone Chewbacca had ever met before.

The Lieutenant was standing very close to Chewbacca now. If anyone else had been on board, Chewbacca doubted they'd be able to hear what he was saying. "It's been good to have someone who listens. I've been kinda running up the walls around here lately."

"In case anyone asks, which I doubt'll happen, just tell them the Commander gave us the okay to proceed. You understand?" Chewbacca grunted his acceptance. "Yeah, you get it." Chewbacca didn't need the condescending instructions to get that much. But if it meant this selfish Lieutenant wouldn't question the contents of Chewbacca's cargo, he was willing to indulge the behavior.

Past the malfunctioning scanners, the pair made their way through the cavernous ship's hallways. Their footsteps echoed in every direction as the repulsorlift slid silently ahead of them, carrying the tons of hidden mining explosives. Chewbacca couldn't help but notice the eerie quiet surrounding them. The ship was strangely vacant, with hardly even the sound of motorized droids bustling about. As far as Chewbacca could tell, they were the only lifeforms aboard this ship.

Chewbacca's plan was dangerously close to coming to fruition. It took all of his willpower to keep his heart rate and breathing at normal levels. This single ship represented his last chance at retribution. If Chewbacca was ever going to get his revenge against the Empire, it would be here and now. He could feel it in his bones. This place was the beginning of the end.

"So you promise you're going to be alright with what's in there?" It took Chewbacca a moment to realize the Lieutenant had been speaking for quite some time and was now asking him a question. He grunted back the same affirmative, anything to keep the Lieutenant talking.

Instead, the Lieutenant stopped in his tracks. They had finally arrived at the entrance to the cargo bay. "The Commander's safe is just on the other end there," the Lieutenant explained. Lights instantly turned on as they made their passage through the ship. Suddenly the room was filled with a foul odor. The smell of fear and hatred. "Sorry for the smell. We tried to wash them, but the Commander put an end to that." The Lieutenant was now sounding very fearful. His words were dripping with nervous energy. Chewbacca was beginning to realize that maybe he should have been paying attention to what the Lieutenant had asked him.

They had only taken a few steps when Chewbacca noticed the texture of the floor had changed. What was once cold metal became coarse and rough. Its shine was dampened and obscured. Chewbacca knelt down to inspect this peculiar sensation and found a clump of matted brown hair.

In fact, there was a trail of it. All leading to a cage in the far corner of the room.

* * *

A communicator rang, startling Chewbacca. And awakened whatever was in the cage.

The Lieutenant pawed for the communicator on his belt. "Let me get that." He finally unclasped the thing and returned the message. "Copy that, Commander." He switched the communicator to mute and covered the microphone for extra precaution. "I'm going to take this. Go ahead and drop off the cargo right over there. And don't steal anything!"

He hustled away, leaving Chewbacca alone. This was his chance. Chewbacca could pry open the cargo box, plant the explosives in clandestine locations throughout the ship, maximizing the explosive radius. But his feet carried him right past the box and towards the cage in the corner of the room.

It was clearly a recent addition to the shuttle. They did not usually carry something like this, but stranger sights have been seen. From inside, there was a slight rustling followed by a thud and a scrape against the cage's thick metal bars.

"Help." These words were the first Chewbacca had heard spoken in Shryiwook since he first crashed on Shar'Ack. He swelled with energy and charged towards the bars.

She was as tall as Chewbacca, although her hair was longer and knotted.

"Who - who are you?" The words tumbled out of Chewbacca's mouth. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to speak and be understood.

"My name is… Malla. Have you come… to rescue us?" She asked.

Chewbacca pulled on the bars but could find no way to open them. "I didn't know you were here," he said. "I didn't know."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I came here for revenge." It was freeing to finally say that out loud. To tell the truth about how he felt.

"Does that mean… you're with the Rebel Alliance?" She asked the question with a hint of skepticism.

"No. I am alone."

"My cellmates will be disappointed to hear that. From what I've heard, they have been trying to reach the Alliance."

This was the first time Chewbacca noticed there were others in her cell. One, a tentacled blue Twi'lek woman. The other, a pale human no older than 15 years. They were dirty and tired like Malla. Although they did not dare to make eye contact with the tall Wookiee. For all they knew, this conversation was going poorly between two rival clan members.

"Are you from the Tojj clan?" Malla asked. "I can smell it on you. I was with the Gkrur." Chewbacca knew this story well. The Gkrur were denied safe haven by their rivals, the Chevappa. Not that it did them any good. The slavers captured both tribes shortly thereafter. But how did this one, Malla, escape?

"At first they sent me to the labor camps," Malla said. "But then they wanted to make an example of me. So they sent me off as a prisoner of war instead of with the other slaves…" That word, slave, stuck in her throat like a lump of coal. "Now I'm here. With you…"

Her voice softly echoed through the space of the cargo, drawing Chewbacca's attention towards the sound of the Lieutenant's footsteps hastily returning.

"We don't have much time." Chewbacca needed to be quick to reassure her. "I will not abandon you."

His initial plan, of destroying this ship and everyone inside it, felt like a distant memory. But as hard as he tried, Chewbacca could not find a way to help her escape.

The Lieutenant's pace quickened and soon he was running up to Chewbacca. If he was nervous before, he was panicking now. "I've got some bad news, buddy."

He reached to his side and pulled out his blaster with the barrel aimed squarely at Chewbacca's chest.

* * *

"Now remember I'm just the messenger here." The Lieutenant was trembling in front of the Wookiee even though he had the upper hand. "I see you met the cargo." He waved his blaster over to Malla with the flick of his wrist. "The Commander recently got a side job picking up P.O.W's. I don't like it but then again that's not why they pay me."

Chewbacca roared at the man. If he was going to betray him, then that meant Chewbacca no longer needed to pretend to enjoy his company. "Your buddy Tyric, he sold you out. Literally. He sold you off to the Empire."

This should have been a surprise to Chewbacca, but it was not. After all these years of fighting, Chewbacca realized his destination was always inevitable. A Wookiee in this galaxy was never truly free.

"But that doesn't mean it has to work that way." The Lieutenant couldn't help but let loose his sly grin. Chewbacca was puzzled by this sudden turn.

"I'll tell them you beat me up and escaped before anyone gets here. I can't offer you much time but it's not nothing."

The Lieutenant slightly lowered his blaster, as if to prove he was serious, but not so far as to fully trust the Wookiee. The only thing Chewbacca was certain of was this human's ability to surprise. The moment he had finally written off the human for good, he had come back with this. But as much as he appreciated the offer, Chewbacca was pulled back to Malla. He could not leave her here.

The Lieutenant must have picked up on this. "I'm sorry but there's no opening up that cell," he said.

It must be possible, Chewbacca thought. He roared and smashed the cell as hard as he could. Inside Malla and the two prisoners were frightened by the clashing of claw and metal. But the cold steel withstood his strength. It budged an inch but didn't give way.

"Settle down there!" The Lieutenant impotently shouted. He was finally beginning to realize how little control he had over the Wookiee, with or without his puny blaster. "I'm giving you a shot at getting out of here without being turned into a fur rug. You better take it."

He poked the Wookiee with his index finger. Then Chewbacca picked him up and threw him against the wall.

The blaster fell a short distance away. The Lieutenant had only just gotten back up to his feet when he turned to see Chewbacca switch it off from stun mode. He slowly reached his hands up to the sky in surrender.

Forever looking for the final word, he sighed. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"


	4. Chapter 4

With the tables turned, the Lieutenant did not seem interested in putting up a fight.

"Look fuzzball, I'm trying to help you out here. But this isn't going to do either of us any good." Chewbacca didn't want to hear any of it. He was in a rage, and this heavy metal cage could withstand every blow. Inside, Malla and the two other prisoners looked up at him with hope that they might finally be set free, but also fear of what this angry Wookiee was capable of.

"You want to keep banging on that thing or do you want to get out of here?" The Lieutenant was getting fed up now. Chewbacca roared at him. If he wanted to give Chewbacca a reason to tear out his throat, so be it. "There's a key to this thing. In the Commander's office. We don't have a lot of time, but seeing as how there's no talking you out of this, let me go get it for you."

How stupid did this human think wookiees are? To let an Imperial soldier run free after attempting to enslave him? Chewbacca knew that it was unlikely for any of them to escape this unharmed, but turning him loose was counterintuitive at best and downright foolish at worst.

"I get it. I get it. But I was trying to get you out of here before you stole that thing." The Lieutenant motioned to the blaster lying at Chewbacca's feet. "Just let me go grab the key. I don't know where it is but I know what it looks like. You don't have to trust me, but you've got no other options here."

Chewbacca looked to Malla for guidance. She only gave him a slight nod. If she was afraid, she did a good job of concealing it. He turned towards the Lieutenant. His seven-foot frame towered over the scrawny human. With one hand he bent down and retrieved his blaster and offered it to the Lieutenant.

"You keep it. In case someone shows up early." Before Chewbacca could respond, the Lieutenant ran out of the room.

The Twi'lek woman approached the bars of the cage. "You can't trust that one." Her voice was soft yet dark at the same time. "You don't become an Imperial Lieutenant by chance. He chose to be here. Remember that."

"He seems to be doing a better job of getting us out of here than you are, Luna." This new voice came from the young human. He was still lying on the ground with his arms folded under his head. "He might just hate it on this ship as much as you do."

Malla growled over their bickering. "These two are always like this. When we escape, it will be best if we go our separate ways." The thought of being with another Wookiee filled Chewbacca with hope for his kind. It had been a long time since he had felt that way. For so long, he had assumed his people would be forced into exile for eternity. Now, with Malla, maybe they stood a chance at having a future.

The human boy hopped to his feet and approached the bars. "The name's Ranslom, big guy." He held his hand out through the bars. Apparently he expected a handshake. When Chewbacca didn't reciprocate, Ranslom grinned. "Don't worry about it. Pleasures all mine. Luna's a bit uptight but we're both real thankful you're busting us out of here."

"He is not freeing us, child." The twi'lek was clearly the adult in their relationship. "The only reason he even stopped was for the Wookiee."

"Can you blame him? It's not like we would have even been able to talk to him without her."

"We can't even talk to her," the twi'lek spat out. "For all we know, they're going to leave us in here so we don't bungle their escape."

"Or maybe they'll eat us? I think I might be quite tasty," said Ranslom. What was it with human males that forced them to always need the final word?

Chewbacca shouted loud enough to put an end to their petty squabbling. He wasn't going to leave them behind, but that didn't mean he had to put up with this. Everything that was happening now was so different from what Chewbacca had planned as he entered the ship. He had nearly forgotten about the box full of mining explosives he had with him.

Before he had a moment to decide what to do with them, the Lieutenant came running back into the room. In his hands was the electronic security key, and soon enough the door to the cell was open. Malla and Chewbacca embraced. Their fur rubbing together provided a sense of warmth and familiarity as if they had always known each other.

"No time to celebrate. The Commander's back on the ship. And he's got your friend Tyric with him."

* * *

The twi'lek Luna pounced onto the Lieutenant and wrapped her hands around his throat. "He called them! Traitor!" She shouted in his face, her eyes sharp like daggers. Chewbacca was inclined to agree with her. But Ranslom pulled her off.

"Watch it, lady," the Lieutenant fought back. "If I was going to betray you, why would I let you out of here, let alone come back alone?"

He had a point. Not that Luna wanted to hear it. She turned to Chewbacca and pointed to the blaster in his hands. "You'd best be ready to use that on this one when the time comes."

Malla had enough. She forced her way in between them and grabbed Chewbacca by the shoulders. "They are all filled with hate. They will only bring more destruction and death with them. We must leave now." Chewbacca nodded in approval.

The Lieutenant shifted his feet awkwardly, looking for a chance to chime in. "I take it you still want to get off this ship. We don't have much time. It's just the Commander and your friend on board. Looks like they left the rest of the squad back at the factory. They're in the cockpit now, but it shouldn't be much longer before they make their way back -"

His words were cut off by the sliding whirl of the cargo doors opening. Tyric saw them first. His jaws dropped as the sight of this motley crew. The Commander for his part did not notice, too enthralled by the story he was relaying to Tyric.

"The prisoners we have in here will fetch a high price on the slave markets. These merchants are the ones who first turned me onto your Idilwil." The Commander turned to present his prized cargo, only to find the Wookiee Chewbacca pointing the blaster in his direction. "What the bloody hell is this?"

The Lieutenant could only shrug his shoulders and smirk. "Beats me, boss."

"You little -" The Commander had only moved an inch before Chewbacca's blaster shot him through the chest. He collapsed on the ground, the smell of singed fabric filling the air. Tyric looked over the Commander's body, slowly processing the situation.

He turned towards Chewbacca, relaxing his shoulders and raising his hands up above his head. "I'm glad to see you're alright, friend." He said the words smoothly, without a hint of fear or even shame. Chewbacca was furious. He roared at the man who he had once thought of as a partner. "I want you to know… It wasn't my…" Tyric couldn't finish the words. "I'm sorry. I suppose I should have known the Empire wouldn't be content with taking over the factory. Their greed has no limits."

Of course not. Tyric said all of this as if it was not plainly obvious from the second the Empire stepped foot on Shar'Ack. As if Chewbacca had not tried to warn him.

Tyric started up again. "The Empire… they didn't give me much choice. I thought I could make a deal, but they came to take everything from me. Even you… I'm sorry -"

 _Enough excuses. Enough!_

Chewbacca fired the blaster. The bolt sailed through the air, piercing Tyric's chest. He hit the ground with a heavy thud. His hands falling limply to his sides. Chewbacca let out a pained roar and hush fell over the scene. The debt of Tyric's betrayal had been repaid, but it did not provide any relief to Chewbacca.

It was Malla who dared to break that silence. "We must get moving," she said. Chewbacca knew she was right but he could not take his eyes off his deceased partner. The man who had provided him with safe haven for so long, and tarnished all that with his betrayal. Some part of Chewbacca knew that it had not been his choice. That the Commander must have made Chewbacca's enslavement a requirement for any deal.

Not that it mattered now. They were still on board an Imperial ship. And they were running out of time to escape.

* * *

Chewbacca and the Lieutenant raced into the cockpit of the Imperial shuttle. It would not be long before the squadron of stormtroopers left behind at Tyric's factory would notice the Commander's disappearance. And if anyone aboard the Star Destroyer orbiting overhead were to discover their treachery…

There was no time to worry about that. The Lieutenant was fiddling with the computer as quickly as he could. "Just a little more work, and we'll be able to get off this rock without being followed," he said as his fingers danced over the keys. Chewbacca could recognize what he was doing: charting a path through hyperspace to a safe location outside Imperial detection.

Ranslom, Luna, and Malla were standing guard at the rear of the cockpit. The Lieutenant turned towards them and stepped away from the console. "I don't know what your plans are, but this should buy you enough time to get wherever you're going."

"How do we know you haven't enabled a tracker for them to follow us," questioned Luna with venom in her voice. "You've gotten us this far, but what if you sell us out the moment we turn our backs?"

"Might as well bring me along then," replied the Lieutenant. "I don't have much interest in cleaning up this mess anyways. P.O.W's can be quite valuable, as I'm sure you've figured out by now." He offered out his hands to prove he was serious.

Ranslom stepped forward and eyed the Lieutenant. "I know what it's like to work for the Empire," he said with cool calculation. "Although I was born into service. I assume you were not."

"They said enlistment for Correllians would be optional" replied the Lieutenant. "They must have thought I was real special to draft me against my will." Ranslom and the Lieutenant shared a laugh at that.

Luna was getting frustrated by their casual back-and-forth. "Enough chit-chat," she shouted. "You want to come with us, fine." She grabbed the Lieutenant by the ear with her left hand and grabbed the key to the cage with the other. "Then you better make yourself comfortable."

She dragged the Lieutenant out the door. He shouted out in pain but did not fight back.

Ranslom spoke to Chewbacca in hushed tones. "Luna means well. She had a hard life as an Imperial slave. She doesn't see much worth saving in them. Though I think our new prisoner might come in handy later."

Malla stepped in-between them. "Be careful what this one says. He seems young but he's dangerous," she cautioned.

Chewbacca was confused. "What danger could he possibly pose?" Ranslom was only a boy, and he was small even by human standards.

Malla was deadly serious. "If you want to return to Kashyyk and help our kind, you'd do well not to listen to him."

Returning to Kashyyk… Chewbacca had given up hope of ever doing that. Now the prospect was tantalizingly real. But even if they returned, what could they accomplish? The entire planet was already under Imperial control. Their people enslaved. Any government or community left on the planet would have no chance of freedom so long as the Empire existed.

The futility of it all washed over Chewbacca. He had to take a seat to consider what to do next.

Ranslom took a knee in front of Chewbacca. "You've proven yourself to be an honorable warrior. Might I ask that you join us on our quest?"

Malla quickly interjected. "Their plan is foolish. They stand no chance!"

Even if Ranslom couldn't understand Malla's words, he understood their intent. "You want to help your people, no? That's why you did all this."

Chewbacca was not exactly sure why he had done it. His plan had been to obliterate the Star Destroyer flying overhead. Now here he was, running away from his last chance of revenge, with a group of bumbling humanoids under his care.

"If you come with us… I can offer you a chance at real revenge for your people… and the entire galaxy…" Ranslom was deadly serious. Chewbacca leaned forward to listen. "Because we are going to kill the Emperor…"


	5. Chapter 5

The Lieutenant's plan to take control of the shuttle worked better than anyone had expected. They left Shar'Ack in a hurry and as soon as the Star Destroyer attempted to make contact with them, they were already jumping to light speed before they knew what hit them.

Not that this gave Luna any comfort. She was quick to retake control of the ship and began piloting it towards a distant corner of the galaxy that Chewbacca had never heard of. She was a secretive one, as far as Chewbacca could tell. She sat in the pilot's chair of the shuttle and it was clear no one, even Chewbacca, could remove her from it.

She piloted with a stony silence as Chewbacca and Malla rested. After a few hours, Ranslom took it upon himself to attempt communication with the two wookiees. "I'm glad you two came with us," he said. He held himself with the composure of a seasoned political operative, even if his words still reflected the demeanor of a teenage boy. "It must not have been an easy decision. But this team right here might just be able to change the galaxy for good."

"Team." Luna laughed at his naivety. "That's generous."

"We had hoped to discover the whereabouts of the Rebel Alliance but then we were apprehended. Because time is running out, we'll just have to make do with what we have." It was hard to understand why the serious Luna had partnered with this child. But in these dire circumstances, we do not often get to choose our allegiances. Chewbacca for his part was at least happy to have Malla with him, even if she did not return the favor. They were perhaps the only free wookiees in the entire galaxy. Though who knew how long that would last.

They both knew no one on the ship could understand them and yet she still spoke in a quiet whisper to avoid eavesdropping. "We should not be here. Their plan is suicide. We should be helping our people."

Her logic was sound. But neither of them knew what tragedy had befallen Kashyyk after they left. For Chewbacca, who had spent so long pining for the opportunity to return, now found himself petrified by the possibility. What was once a fantasy now turned to reality, and with it soured by the death and destruction of the Empire. So when Ranslom brought up the subject of their revolution, Chewbacca was eager to listen. For as much as he might want to return to Kashyyk, his heart was still set on revenge.

Ranslom had spent his childhood years fostered by an Imperial politician. He claimed that this is where he got a first-hand look at the Empire's operations, and a glimpse of the Emperor's plans. He claimed to know a lot of things, and the only reason Chewbacca could think to believe them was because Luna vouched for them.

"Prefsbelt IV is the sight of a classified Imperial Naval Academy. It's where the Empire trains its future leadership. And of course, that's why the Emperor himself makes a personal appearance at the graduation ceremony. Since it's top-secret, it's the only place he even comes close to letting his guard down." This all sounded plausible enough. For as little as Chewbacca knew about the Emperor, the vanity of the ruling class is universal. What dictator doesn't enjoy standing before a cheering mass of his own supporters?

"We can use this shuttle that our hostage so graciously provided to fly directly onto the planet. We have forged identity numbers for the ship that should let us land directly into their port. We're cutting it close, but we should have enough time to infiltrate the Academy, commandeer an anti-air tank and blow the Emperor's shuttle out of the sky before it lands for the ceremony."

That seemed simple enough. But there was surely a catch, and Luna took the words right out of Chewbacca's mouth. "That's easy for you to say. All of us without your fair complexion are going to have a hard time walking around an Imperial base undetected. They don't take kindly to aliens, you know."

"Yes, of course, but -"

Luna continued with her argument. "We're better off using the wookiee's explosives and blowing the damned place to hell. Any of us can go down into the service tunnels and he brought more than enough to blow up this little ship. It should take care of any castle just as well."

"That seems needlessly destructive," said Ranslom with trepidation. It was clear they had had this argument many times before.

"Unless they start letting wookiees and twi'leks join the Empire, you'd be going out there alone. It was one thing when we had the prospect of joining the Rebel Alliance, but now… the more dead imperials, the better."

Ranslom shifted his feet nervously. "You know I'm not the only human on board."

"Don't you dare…" Luna let her threat hang in the air. Not that it stopped Ranslom from picking up the key to the cage in the cargo hold.

"You've got a ship to fly." He then pointed to Chewbacca. "Want to join me for an interview?"

* * *

The Lieutenant had made himself comfortable in his cage. He wrapped his jacket over his head to block out the florescent light of the cargo hold and was fast asleep when Ranslom and Chewbacca approached. A heavy smack on the metal bars from Chewbacca's claws woke him up with a jolt.

"Thanks for the wake up call," he muttered from underneath his jacket. He ripped it off his head to make eye contact with his captors.

"We thought you might appreciate an opportunity to stretch your legs," said Ranslom with a calm demeanor. He held the electric key to the cage and the bars sprung open. The Lieutenant cautiously stood up and took his first steps out into the cargo hold. Chewbacca stood right next to him, prepared to throw him back into the cage at a moments notice.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," he said with his customary smirk. Even when he was being serious, he couldn't resist the opportunity to crack a smile. "How about we crack open a bottle of your Idilwil and get comfortable?"

Now it was Ranslom who was laughing. "Sorry Lieutenant. You must not have realized that our wookiee friend didn't bring the Idilwil."

"He didn't? Then what did you…" The Lieutenant peered behind Chewbacca and saw the crate. Pried open with it's lid flat on the floor, he could see that inside was nothing but mining explosives. "You sneaky devil…"

"Yes, it appears this one had quite a plan for you before he came upon us."

"Apparently." The Lieutenant looked at Chewbacca in a whole new light. "So if you're not here to share a drink, what do you want?"

"You did a good job getting us away from that Star Destroyer."

"You're welcome," interrupted the Lieutenant, intent on making sure his contributions wouldn't be forgotten any time soon.

"But now we're going undercover into Imperial territory."

"So I busted my butt getting you this ship and you've decided to turn around and return it to the Empire?"

"Escape was never our primary objective."

"Then what was it, tough guy?"

Ranslom straightened his back and held his hands behind his back. If he had wanted to, he would have made a deadly Imperial officer. "To assassinate the Emperor."

The Lieutenant hung his head down. "I've just got the best luck, don't I? Finally go AWOL and I get stuck with these nut jobs." He began pacing around the room muttering to himself. Chewbacca wanted to intervene and return him to his cell before he lost control, but Ranslom held him back. After a couple moments to vent his frustrations, the Lieutenant returned to Ranslom and Chewbacca. "It's either this or go out the airlock, huh?"

Ranslom gave him an affirmative nod.

The Lieutenant stood tall. "Screw it. I'm in."

"Do you want to know the plan first?" Ranslom asked.

"What difference does it make? We're all gonna die soon anyway."

The Lieutenant held out his hand and Ranslom shook it. "Welcome aboard. My name's Ranslom. Luna's the twi'lek who you met earlier."

"She seemed nice," said the Lieutenant dryly.

Ranslom pointed to the wookiee. "We haven't figured out this one's name yet."

"Well when we get captured I'm sure the Empire will have a protocol droid hanging around who can translate."

Chewbacca grunted at him. His wisecracks were bad enough when they were still on Shar'Ack and he had the power of the Empire on his side. But now that they were compatriots, it was time to set some boundaries. That is why it came as a surprise when the Lieutenant held out his hand for Chewbacca.

"I'm just glad I can be on the other side of your explosions," he said to the wookiee. "The name's Han Solo."


	6. Chapter 6

Their arrival into the Prefsbelt system was with little fanfare but the tension on board was thick and palpable. Han had promised that his forged identity markers would distinguish them from the Star Destroyer they left behind orbiting Shar'Ack, but it was only Ranslom who trusted their newest compatriot.

"I'm telling you, there's nothing in this for me if we get captured," Han said, trying his best to appear sincere. It was difficult for him, but the fact that he was even making the effort spoke volumes in Chewbacca's eyes. "You've got to contact the base first if they're going to believe we're making an emergency return."

Ranslom posed himself near the captain's chair, but it was Luna who occupied the seat. They were each contemplating their next move. Neither entirely sure of what the other was thinking. It wasn't until Chewbacca growled that they snapped back into the present. He had been tasked with keeping an eye on their prisoner and was now the only thing standing between Han and the communications controls. Ranslom looked as though he was about to speak, but he hesitated. Before Luna could react, Chewbacca growled again, stepping aside so Han could reach the controls.

Han shared a knowing nod with the wookiee. Even if Chewbacca did not trust him, he understood that their options for approach were severely limited, and there was no point in waiting while these two came to the same painfully obvious conclusion.

"Prefsbelt, this is Shuttle SP88, coming in from hyperspace for an emergency landing. Do you read me?"

There was no reply.

"Prefsbelt, this is Shuttle SP88. We got blasted by an EMP outside -"

The return channel blared into through the cabin. The voice on the other end was curt and cold. "This is Prefsbelt, who gave you authorization to approach? This sector is protected."

"Copy that," Han replied. He must have been an Imperial for a while because he knew exactly what they wanted to hear. "Problem is we got blasted by an EMP about 20 parsecs from here. We were supposed to regroup with our Star Destroyer at -"

"Give me the identity number for the Star Destroyer. Now."

Han blabbered for a moment and looked to Ranslom for help. He might know what the Empire wanted to hear, but he didn't have the numbers to back it up off the top of his head. Ranslom, however, appeared to have a photographic memory for the kinds of minutiae that put ordinary folks to sleep. He quickly scribbled a number on his hand and presented it to Han. When Han relayed the information, the line went quiet again.

Luna asked the obvious question on everybody's mind. "Do you think they are stupid enough to fall for it?"

"Ships get separated all the time," Han replied. "Shouldn't be too far out of the realm of possibility that we decided to take a shortcut after taking a beating."

"The real question is whether they'll allow us to exit the shuttle," Ranslom offered quietly. "Or if we'll be confined to our quarters until the ship can be repaired."

"Speaking of," said Han before he started running to the back of the ship. Chewbacca roared and chased after him until they arrived at the power panel in the hallway. "Alright fuzzball, you want to babysit me then you might as well help out." Han unscrewed the panel and produced a pair of thick heavy wires. "Hold onto these for a minute. And don't let them touch till I say so."

He handed Chewbacca the wires and rounded the corner. Chewbacca growled a question at him, and even if Han couldn't understand what he meant, he understood enough to know the answer. "We want them to think we got hit by an EMP, right?" His voice echoed off the flat walls. "Just gotta reroute the power converters and… Now!"

Chewbacca brought the two ends of the cable together and before they could touch a bright blast of electricity jumped from one to the other. By the time Chewbacca was able to fasten the two parts together, the lighting in the shuttle went out with a spark.

Chewbacca's night vision was good, so he could see Han blindly following the wall back towards him. Holding his hand out towards Chewbacca, waving wildly in the darkness, Chewbacca could recognize the scoundrel's trademark smirk. "Can you give me a hand here?"

Han had knocked out the lights and a few minor computer functions from the shuttle but left the communications and hyper speed computers unscathed so they could receive the confirmation from Prefsbelt to land. Against all odds, they had bought Han's story and were giving minimal guidance to them.

"You would think the presence of the Emperor would make them even more cautious of irregularities," said Luna.

"Or perhaps it's his presence that gives them comfort," countered Ranslom. "Prefsbelt is already the most secure and confidential base in the Empire. I doubt they're expecting anyone to be so foolish as to attempt anything like this here."

Han laughed to himself from his chair, with both feet up on the console in front of him. "That was always the Empire's biggest weakness. They never realized how reckless people can be."

* * *

Han fitted himself back into his Imperial uniform. It succeeded in making him look halfway respectable, even if his own fitted uniform looked out of place on his shaggy mug. Ranslom on the other hand underwent a complete transformation when dressed an an Imperial officer. His boyish features once made him look weak and vulnerable. But when draped with Imperial fabrics, his small frame appeared strong. His soft face was rounded out by the Imperial cap and the blaster by his side looked downright menacing.

The two made a strange pair, and no one was sure if it would be enough to get them where they needed to go. Han was jittery and anxious. His hands kept themselves busy by reflexively smoothing out the wrinkles in his uniform. Ranslom kept stoic as Luna questioned his plan.

"You aren't going to make it into the vehicle bay and you know it," she simpered, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"All we'll need is to commandeer a communications droid," Ranslom explained, getting restless and wanting to get on with their plan. "They have the access codes to every warehouse and hangar bay on this planet."

"And you expect us to sit idly by why you two play heroes?"

"We've got a rudimentary map of our surroundings. The vehicle track runs just below here. Once we've commandeered the anti-air tank, we'll wipe it from the manifest and bring the tank just back here. Then we can use that welder to cut a hole through the cargo hold and drop right on top of it. Once we're all aboard, we can take position and wait for the Emperor's shuttle to come into range."

"Too many moving parts. So little certainty."

Ranslom took her into his arms and they stood together for a long, quiet moment. "This is what we've been preparing for. If we don't succeed, then whoever comes after us will follow in our footsteps." Chewbacca could see there were tears in Luna's eyes as Ranslom turned back to Han and exited the shuttle with a military march.

While the shuttle doors were opened, Chewbacca could hear the hustle and bustle of the military base surrounding them. But as soon as those doors were closed, the eerie quiet of the shuttle returned. When he turned around, Luna was already gone. She clearly needed her space.

Chewbacca wandered the halls of the shuttle looking for Malla. She was unhappy with the decision to come to Prefsbelt, to embark on this doomed quest, and Chewbacca felt guilty for keeping her from her people. But there was no time to arrange any alternate transportation for her, not that Chewbacca would have trusted anyone but himself to journey with her to Kashyyk.

He finally found her in the cargo hold, sitting just outside the cage that had once held her prisoner. She didn't react when Chewbacca entered the room, even though she must have heard his footsteps echoing towards her. When he sat down next to her, he finally recognized that she was intentionally avoiding him.

"What do you want," she said without making eye contact. "Shouldn't you be out with the humans? Is your bloodlust not satisfied?"

Chewbacca wanted to tell her that in all likelihood, there was nobody waiting for her on Kashyyk. That whatever rebellion there was to be had was better served out here against the Empire, than among the familiar trees of their homeworld. But all of that felt so petty and small when he looked at her.

"Our people," he said quietly. "They would want us to keep fighting. Going back home… isn't an option."

Their conversation was interrupted by Luna's abrupt footsteps stomping into the cargo hold. Chewbacca grunted at her, trying to regain some sense of privacy and intimacy back with Malla. But she ignored them, instead ripping the lid of a piece of cargo. She glanced inside and picked up one of the mining explosives Chewbacca had brought on board from Shar'Ack. She inspected each piece before she placed them into a satchel, either ignoring or oblivious to the presence of the two wookiees in the room.

She only acknowledged Chewbacca after he got up and approached her. She had packed enough explosives to destroy a mountain in one little bag before she took out another bag and handed it to Chewbacca. He took it reflexively, and could hear Malla scoff at his participation.

"We're not doing anybody any good sitting here," Luna was trying to keep calm but Chewbacca could feel the anger growing inside her. "I'm not going to stay cramped inside here when we could be destroying the Empire once and for all."

Chewbacca wanted to tell her she was wrong. That she was being rash. That she was hurt and scared and lashing out when her friends were out there risking their lives for them. But he could not bring himself to say it, for every time he almost did the thought of his people being held in slavery came back. He looked to Malla for guidance, but she only gave him disgust. Her hatred for this plan, and Chewbacca's proximity to it, had soured him in her eyes.

But she was only a child compared to him. She would never understand what Chewbacca had seen. What Chewbacca knew the Empire was doing not just on Kashyyk but throughout the galaxy. Looking down at the satchel Luna had handed to him, Chewbacca realized he had already started filling it with explosives. His mind was already made up.

Even if Chewbacca had doubts about this plan, even if he knew there was little chance they would survive, he knew that he couldn't sit by while Luna went out on her own.

When Luna began to cut the hole through the deck of the cargo hold, down into the maintenance line below, Malla stormed out of the room. Chewbacca followed after her, but she closed the door in his face. Now Chewbacca was alone with Luna. With enough explosives to take out half the planet.

Luna stood over their makeshift escape hatch. "Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

Looking up through the sewer grates below the landing dock, Castle Prefsbelt loomed large. It's heavy metallic arches looked to be a millennia old. Clearly the Empire had not created this building, instead repurposing it for their own nefarious purposes. But even if the shadow of the castle made Chewbacca's stomach uneasy, the noxious odor in the sewers made it difficult to focus on any of that. He and Luna had been navigating the sewage tunnels for the better part of an hour. The maze was difficult to navigate even with their rudimentary echolocation map.

Slung over their shoulders were satchels filled to the brim with mining explosives. Using the echolocator, they could eventually make their way directly underneath the Castle where the Emperor would be landing. Should Han and Ranslom's plans to commandeer an Imperial anti-air tank fail, there would be no escaping this blast.

The base was bustling with activity overhead, completely oblivious to the two alien intruders directly below their feet. The synchronized march of the stormtroopers in one direction, the heavy thud of the Scout Walkers in the other. Chewbacca and Luna did not dare share any words for the entirety of their journey into Castle Prefsbelt. It wasn't until Luna stopped beneath a draining pipe that she even made eye contact with Chewbacca. She motioned to the wide pipe only a few feet from his head. Chewbacca picked her up and raised her so she could reach into it and peak out from under the drain on the other side. Carefully she examined their surroundings, and with the coast clear, pushed off the covering and pulled herself inside.

Chewbacca lifted himself up behind her and found they were in one of the shower stalls of the castle's washroom. From across the room, one of the other showers was on. Whoever was inside was completely oblivious to their entrance and continued washing themselves. The pouring water obscured their entrance but they could still hear the man singing to himself. At first, Chewbacca was frozen. Hearing the sounds of the Imperial officer so close to them, he was unsure of what to do.

But then his feet started to carry him towards the stall. He looked to Luna, but she did not stop him. Instead she gave him a nod and took up position by the door. It wasn't until well after Chewbacca opened the door to the stall that the man inside noticed him. But at that point, the weak and vulnerable man stood no chance. Chewbacca wasn't sure if he was a stormtrooper or an officer, a ruthless leader or a lowly janitor. A single blow on the head from Chewbacca's strong fists was all it took to send him to the ground. Blood pouring out and down the drain, washed away by the constant flow of the water. The smell was intoxicating and putrid at the same time.

When Chewbacca came out of the stall, Luna had a new arrival twisted in a head lock. Chewbacca had been so enraptured by his first kill that he hadn't noticed the commotion right next to him. A few seconds later the half-dressed soldier went unconscious but she held her grip. She dropped him with a thud, then looked up at Chewbacca. Her breath was hard and heavy. "Move this one back with the other," she said before turning to the door as lookout. Chewbacca obliged, grabbing the body with one hand and dragging it over to the stall. He dumped the lifeless body on top of the other and shut the stall door.

Luna took out her echolocator. She cursed under her breath, unhappy with the results. "We're too far away still from the center of the castle. We need to move." She picked up the satchel and put it back over her shoulder. Then she reached to her side and took out her blaster. She put one hand on the door and looked back at Chewbacca. She didn't need to say anything for Chewbacca to recognize to pain and anger in her eyes. They had finally arrived in the heart of the Empire. Surely Han and Ranslom would be upset by their impromptu plan. But there was no turning back now.

This was the end. Chewbacca could feel it as if it were as real as the blaster in his hand.

* * *

The hallways outside the washroom was empty, giving them enough time to get behind cover and chart their next move. They were still on the ground level taking position behind a concrete banister leading towards the castle's courtyard. There was a constant stream of officers and stormtroopers making their way through it, preparing for the Emperor's arrival.

She took out her echolocator and pointed it at the courtyard. "That's where we need to go. We just need to find a way down into the service tunnels below." The task felt insurmountable, especially as Luna twisted the echolocator around, trying to find an access point. "Damn it! There must be one somewhere around here."

Chewbacca started to feel the Stormtroopers closing him. His bulky frame felt exposed no matter how closely he hugged the wall. Someone could round that corner any moment now, and Chewbacca wasn't sure there'd be anything he can do to stop them from raising the alarm. Luna was clearly feeling the pressure as well. She tugged Chewbacca's arm and pulled him towards a nearby maintenance room. No one saw them go inside where they found a pair of deactivated protocol droids recharging their power cells.

The room was a cold dead end. Luna hit the walls, searching for a door or a panel or anything to get them down into the service tunnels. Chewbacca stayed with his back against the door, holding it shut in case anyone had the misfortune of coming into this room at this exact moment. The shiny silver protocol droid stood motionless in front of him. Chewbacca could see his reflection staring back at him. His eyes were weathered and heavy. His fur damp and matted. For a brief flash, he even thought he'd seen Malla's reflection just over his shoulder. But it was gone in a second and Chewbacca was left again in this cold, dark room.

Growing uncomfortable with his own reflection haunting him, Chewbacca pushed the droid away. The idle droid fell out of its charging port, toppling over with a loud commotion. Luna quickly hustled over to put the droid back in position. Kneeling down to grab it's shoulder, she had lifted it a foot off the ground before she dropped it. Chewbacca was surprised by the reaction until he followed her gaze to the spot where the droid once stood: the charging port's main power source was an electrical wire running directly into the wall. A heavy metal grate was the only thing standing between them and the maintenance tunnel beneath.

"We need to get down there," Luna shouted at Chewbacca. "Now!" The two hustled towards the grate but it was secured in place. Frustrated, Chewbacca took out his blaster and fired directly at it. The blast went straight through the metal and ricocheted down the tunnel.

"At least it didn't come back up this way." She gave a slight smile to Chewbacca, perhaps the first she'd given in a long time. But her attention soon shifted somewhere else. At Chewbacca's feet, the protocol droid's yellow eyes were now illuminated. "How long has that thing been on?"

The room went quiet and Chewbacca could hear nothing but the shuffling footsteps just on the other side of the door. In an instant, he knew what had happened: The droid had sent a distress beacon, and they were surrounded. Chewbacca roared and he fired a blast at the droid on the floor. The droid didn't attempt to speak or defend itself. A single shot was all it took. He could hear the soldiers outside recoil at the sound, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop them from opening the door with the access panel on the other side.

Luna tossed her satchel down into the tunnel below. It had to be a twenty foot drop at least. She grabbed Chewbacca's hair and pulled him towards the tunnel. "You have to get down there and put those bombs into position. I'll cover you," she demanded. When she took position and raised her blaster at the door, Chewbacca knew exactly why she didn't want to go down there first. She had come here to kill stormtroopers and nothing else. Even if he could speak to her in a language she understood, Chewbacca knew there was nothing he could say that would convince her otherwise.

"They don't know about our plan yet, they'll think I'm a runaway slave from a nearby harem. You can still do this." There was no debate with Luna. There would surely be no surrender either. When the doors slid open, the stormtroopers outside didn't hesitate and neither did she. Blaster fire shot out in every direction. The only way Chewbacca could avoid it was to dive down into the tunnel.

* * *

At first he felt weightless until he crashed down below, the satchel breaking his fall. Thankfully these newer explosives were more durable than the old cheap ones Tyric usually insisted on purchasing.

Over his head, he could hear the sirens ringing out. Even if they didn't know Chewbacca was down here, it was unlikely they would lower their guard any time soon. He knew that his best bet was to plant the explosives and get away as quickly as possible. That way, even if he was captured, they would have no way of finding and deactivating the explosives.

Lucky for him the service tunnel was a one way only affair. After running through the loop, he dropped off the entire contents of the satchel. He set the timer for five hours, planning to deploy them manually if he was lucky enough to watch the Emperor's ship land.

With the payload dropped Chewbacca now had to make his way out of the tunnel. But he was exhausted and needed a moment to rest. He fell down onto the cold steal floor while listening to the frantic commotion above him. Maybe he would be better off staying down here forever. Maybe he would be able to sense the Emperor's presence, and be there to personally see the man he had hated for so long die by Chewbacca's own hand.

These thoughts of the end were interrupted by the sound of a door opening somewhere down deep in the tunnels. Chewbacca had thought he would have had more time before someone thought to dirty themselves in these deep, twisting tunnels. Clearly he had underestimated them.

He picked up his blaster and took cover as best he could but he was still painfully exposed. He held his breath and waited, listening to the footsteps grow louder and louder.

Then a voice called out. "Hey fuzzball, you down here?!" The voice sounded familiar but Chewbacca didn't put down the blaster. It wasn't until Ranslom rounded the corner that he felt like he could finally relax.

"What the hell are you doing here? And where's Luna?" Ranslom tried to maintain his authority but Chewbacca could see right through him to the young boy who was afraid for his friend. He could only lower his head in respect and Ranslom understood what he meant.

"You two really bungled this one, huh," Han snapped at Chewbacca. "We were halfway done when the alarms rang out. Couldn't do much sleuthing that way now, can we?"

Chewbacca wasn't in the mood for a lecture. He growled loudly to shut him up. "Keep that down," said Han. "You're lucky we're the only ones who knew to look for you." Even if his tone was harsh, some part of Han could sense the pain inside Chewbacca. He didn't like to show it but one hand on Chewbacca's arm was enough to make it felt. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

Han and Ranslom took the front, hustling through the service tunnels until they reached the back door. Ranslom peaked his head out first, then Han and Chewbacca exited. But they didn't even make it around the corner until they found themselves face to face with an entire platoon of Stormtroopers.

For a brief moment, they were all frozen in time. Staring each other down. Blasters by their sides. Before Chewbacca could take aim, a blaster was put to his head. He looked to his left and saw the man holding the blaster: Han.

"You guys finally found us," he said, never breaking eye contact with Chewbacca. "These two took me prisoner back on Shar'Ack. They came to kill the Emperor."

The lead Stormtrooper called out for an Officer on his communicator. "All right," he said. "Stun them and lock 'em up. You're going to have to explain yourself to the General."

Those were the last words Chewbacca heard before the stun ray knocked him out. Everything went black, and all that was left in Chewbacca's mind was his hatred for Han Solo, the traitor.


	8. Chapter 8

There was a war running through Chewbacca's mind. Stormtroopers. Marching imperial droids and warriors. Everything was racing past him. He was flat on his back, looking up at the dark, vaulted ceilings.

Dark. It was so dark. They must have been in the farthest reaches of Castle Prefsbelt. The castle itself was as old as time, but the Imperials had hollowed it out. Everything that was old was made new again, except for its powerful decor. Slowly it all started coming back to Chewbacca. Shar'Ack, Tyric, and the Idilwil distillery churning away. The machinery was always so noise. Both there on Shar'Ack and here with the Empire.

Chewbacca was being held down with straps from head to toe. When they forced him onto the medical frigate all those years ago, the humanoid abolitionists, though supportive of the wookiee cause, underestimated Chewbacca's strength. What they had failed to realize was that any wookiee would rather fight to the death than run away cowardly. They had not even bothered to tie him down to their medical gurney. It took a dozen of them to keep him from escaping the ship and back onto Kashyyk.

The Empire knew not to underestimate the brute strength of a wookiee. They had managed to exploit that value through their enslavement. When Chewbacca threw himself against the straps on the Empire's prisoner transport, no one had to hold him down. For all his strength, Chewbacca was worn down and beaten. The death of Luna and Han's betrayal were fresh scars. Fighting against the restraints didn't help, but it was better than nothing.

A sharp prod from a Stormtrooper's stun button put a stop to that commotion. With Chewbacca quiet and the Imperial officers back in formation, Chewbacca saw Ranslom unconscious and tied down to another transport only a few feet to his left. And right behind them both was only man Chewbacca hated more than the Emperor himself: Han Solo, soaking in the attention from his fellow Imperials.

"I wasn't sure if these two were going to fall for it," he boasted with that cocky shrug of his. Every fiber of Chewbacca's being was focused on Han. If he could control the power of the force, he would have choked the life out of Han. "Once we get them into their cells I can take you back to the shuttle.

"Two wookiees for the price of one."

* * *

When it came time to lock up Chewbacca and Ranlsom in Castle Prefsbelt's brig, Han was tasked with doing the honors. The cells themselves were cold and damp. For all the work they had put into retrofitting the castle, they had left this area intentionally underdeveloped. The bars were old iron, albeit sturdy enough that Chewbacca knew he had no chance of breaking out of it as soon as Han slid the lock into place.

An Imperial Officer who had stayed behind to watch the proceedings approached Han now that the prisoners were firmly locked into their individual cells. "Good work, soldier. It's a shame the rest of your crew couldn't be here to see your success."

"Right," Han offered quietly.

"The Emperor will be most pleased to know this assassination plot was foiled. Now all we need to do is retrieve our ship."

The ship. Malla, still waiting inside for Chewbacca's return. He couldn't let them take her too. Chewbacca was thrown into a frenzy, crashing into the cell bars with all his might but it was useless. Han's stun baton put him right back on the ground. So Chewbacca got back up again, refusing to give up without a fight.

"This might take a little while," said Han to the Officer. "Let me put him in his place and then we can move out of here."

"Affirmative," said the Officer before leaving. As soon as the doors slid closed, Han turned and made eye contact with Chewbacca. Chewbacca could not get a read on Han's intent from behind the bars of the cell. Not until he came close to whisper something through the bars.

"You can be a real pain in the ass, do you know that?" He was real close now. Close enough for Chewbacca to reach one arm through the bars and grab him by the throat. "Lucky for you - I've got a plan." That's all he was able to say between the gasps for air. "Let me go!"

That wasn't going to happen. Han realized that soon enough. "They had us dead to rights. I had to do something!" The easiest way to cut through his self-serving lies was to roar right in his face. It might draw undue attention, but it felt good none-the-less.

"You're worried about Malla, right?" Her name was enough to stop Chewbacca from ripping him apart. For now. "I'm going to bring her back here, ok? Yeah, they'll lock her up too. But then I'll find a way to get us all out of here."

More lies. They had to be. How easy it would be to kill Han right here and now.

But he didn't. He couldn't. Instead he let Han go, dropping him to the floor with a heavy thud. He picked himself up and brushed himself off.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy." Chewbacca turned his back on the man. He didn't want to trust him. But there had been enough killing today. If this was the only way to save Malla's life, then so be it.

* * *

Waiting in the dirty cell felt like an eternity. Young Ranslom was still unconscious from the heavy stun baton but he appeared to be breathing. Chewbacca had withstood much more and was feeling well enough to pace back and forth anxiously.

The only view he had to the outside world was a small window high up on the wall. Presumably this was high enough that no human would be able to see outside of, but Chewbacca was tall enough that he could still peer outside at the bustling Imperial base that surrounded them on all sides. Somewhere out there, Han was taking the Stormtroopers to Malla. She would be arrested, stunned, and brought back here.

Chewbacca was filled with immense shame for leaving her behind in that ship. It was his fault she had even been dragged out here to the heart of the Empire. He had been so consumed with rage but it all seemed so petty now. Their plan had failed and what did Chewbacca have to show for it? Nothing but stiff limbs and the cold cell.

When she was back here, Chewbacca would finally be able to apologize for his foolishness. If Han was in fact able to break them out of here, then perhaps they would be able to return to Kashyyk like Malla always wanted. Revenge against the Empire seemed so foolish now, but that didn't mean they couldn't find a way to help their fellow wookiees. There was no undoing Chewbacca's mistakes. All he could do now was look forward to the life he and Malla could build together.

Even though he was locked up, for the first time Chewbacca actually felt a new hope towards the future.

Now all they had to do was get off this terrible planet.

It wasn't hard to spot Malla from far away. For the first time, Chewbacca saw just how a wookiee stood out as strange and bizarre amidst human surroundings. To him, she was a beautiful creature. But to the Imperials flanking her on all sides with their blasters, she was just another monster.

Han stood right by her side holding onto her chains. She did not seem to have been stunned, meaning she had come willingly. They couldn't have been more than twenty feet away when she finally made eye contact with Chewbacca through the window. His heart broke at the sight of her worn face. He tried to speak to her but he knew there was no way she could hear him through the thick walls.

She roared to him as well. He could not understand what she said. All he could see was Malla picking up Han and throw him at the Stormtroopers in front of her. It all happened so quickly, it wasn't until Malla had broken into a full sprint that he realized what she was doing: she was coming to rescue him.

Chewbacca roared as loudly as he could, begging her to stop. To go back to Han before it was too late.

But it was. The stormtroopers opened fire. With her back turned, full body sprinting towards Chewbacca, crying out to save him, she stood no chance. Her momentum sent her crashing to the ground. She never got up.

All because she wanted to save the wookiee named Chewbacca.


	9. Chapter 9

The escape from Castle Prefsbelt flew by in a blur of hectic motion and deception. Chewbacca couldn't process much of anything that was happening after Malla's death. Han led him and Ranslom out of their cells under some pretext Chewbacca couldn't follow. Human beaurocracy was impossible to keep track of. Especially when the memory of Malla kept repeating through his brain.

Her desperate escape from her Imperial captors. The hail of laserfire extinguishing the life from her. Chewbacca would have done anything to save her, but he was impotently trapped in that cell.

All because of Han and his damned scheme. Except Chewbacca wasn't filled with anger towards Han. He could tell that Han was only doing his best to ensure they all could escape. The truth was that Chewbacca didn't feel anything other than regret he had not stayed with Malla in the ship, so they could have fought back together until the very end.

* * *

It didn't take long before Han took them aboard an unmanned Imperial Shuttle and blasted them through hyperspace to some backwards world in the outer rim. No one said much of anything for the entirety of their flight.

Not that they needed to. Han seemed to have everything already planned out, effortlessly flying them down to the junky planet, touching down on a hidden landing pad on the cliffside. When a cloaked figure appeared to lead them out of the ship and inside what appeared to be a kind of shipyard, Ranslom finally found his voice.

"What is this place," he asked.

Chewbacca could sense that Han was finally starting to relax and put his guard down. "A safe spot to hide in. I hope you don't mind."

The cloaked figure, some kind of alien wrapped in a breathing mask, returned and spoke a guttural language only Han was able to understand. Han left them for a brief moment, leaving Chewbacca and Ranslom unattended.

"Everyone seems awfully trusting around here, huh?"

Chewbacca grutned in approval.

Han returned on his own with that classic smile across his face. Ranslom rose to confront him.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

With the safety of a foreign port to his back, Han finally let down his guard.

"Look, I had a debt that only an Imperial Shuttle was going to cash."

"So you joined the Empire as some kind of long con? That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"It was working out pretty well until this one showed up."

Both eyes fell onto Chewbacca, still trying to comprehend Han's revelation. Here was a man who must have dedicated years of his life to a single heist, throwing it all away to save a single Wookiee. Maybe he recognized a fellow traveler or was simply taking pity on an endangered alien. Either way, he had done more for Chewbacca than any human before him, and that had to count for something.

Chewbacca wanted to speak to Han to express exactly how he felt. But as hard as he tried there was nothing he could say that they would understand.

Then everything clicked into place.

Chewbacca touched his chest and reached down towards Han's.

"If you're going to rip off an arm, please make it the left one," Han joked, a poor attempt to hide his flinch. But the wookiee's warm hands put him at ease.

Chewbacca let out a warm grumble as Ranslom looked on. "I think he's offering you a life debt," Ranslom said in awe.

"No way. You don't want to be saddled with a lowlife like me. You should be out there with your people."

Chewbacca growled again, this time louder and more assertive.

"I should have realized you wouldn't take no for an answer," Han mumbled under his breath.

"I've never heard of a wookie giving a life debt to a human," said Ranslom. "You're pretty lucky."

This was not where Chewbacca ever thought his life would go, but he wasn't sure what other options he had. He had nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. Without Han his life would already be over.

Maybe Han could actually make more of Chewbacca's life that Chewbacca's never could on his own.

Soon enough Han realized there was no backing out of this. "Fine. But if you don't like it, you can always leave."

"I don't think that'll happen any time soon," said Ranslom. "A Wookiee life debt is for life, obviously."

"Figures."

"The question now is what are we going to do next?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Han let his response hang in the air before flashing that trademark smirk. Where once it drove Chewbacca furious, now it made him feel comfortable and safe. "We need to get ourselves a new ship."


End file.
